Son holds vigil seeking justice for Sikh parents slain in Canada

Toronto, Jan 8 (IANS) A Sikh man held a candlelight vigil seeking justice for his parents from India who were killed in a shooting spree in Canada's Ontario province in November last year. 

Jagtar Singh Sidhu and Harbhajan Kaur, both in their 50s, were shot more than 20 times just before midnight on November 20 at their rental property along the Caledon-Brampton border.

While Sidhu died on the spot, Harbhajan Kaur succumbed to injuries in the hospital where she was rushed to along with their daughter who was shot 13 times and continues to battle for her life. 

"I'm feeling very sad because my whole family has been shot... (They) were just at the wrong place at the wrong time," Gurdit Singh Sidhu, the couple's son, told CP24 news channel. 

Gurdit Singh and his sister had come to Canada as students a few years ago and sponsored the arrival of their parents who were supposed to return to India this month. 

At the vigil, held on Saturday at Brampton, attendees carried placards that read: "Innocent visitors brutally killed", "Is Canada safe to live?", "Stop illegal weapons," and "Complete failure of law & order". 

Gurdit Singh's cousin, Paramvir Bhatti, said they want concrete actions from all levels of government to ensure that communities are safe and violent incidents like this could be avoided. 

"Once (the suspects) are caught, they should be always behind bars for their life without parole. That's what we want," he told CP24. 

Remembering his parents as "nice" and "good" people who were helpful to others and always cooked for the family, Gurdit Singh rued that so far police have made no arrests in the case. 

The heartbroken son is seeking answers to several questions, which include a visit by an officer from Peel Regional Police's Homicide and Missing Persons Bureau to meet his parents just four days before their murder. 

"They must have known something was going to happen," he said, adding that the shooting and the death of his parents could have been avoided in the first place. 

A spokesperson for Peel police confirmed on Saturday that the homicide bureau did connect with the family on November 16 in relation to an undisclosed investigation. 

"All aspects of this case are now part of an active and ongoing investigation with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), and any further updates will be provided at the appropriate time," Constable Tyler Bell-Morena said in a statement. 

Launching a homicide investigation soon after the incident, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said that they could have possibly died in a case of mistaken identity, and that they believe “multiple suspects” were involved in the killing. 

--IANS 

mi/vd